Progressive audio balance and fade in a multi-zone listening environment

Abstract

A system or method for controlling speaker acoustic output in a multi-speaker audio system having multiple listening zones include substantially simultaneously adjusting gain and at least one additional parameter, such as filtering and/or other signal processing parameters of at least a first speaker relative to at least a second speaker in response to a change in balance and/or fade settings of the audio system across a range of balance and fade settings except for a maximum or minimum setting, and muting at least one speaker in response to the maximum or minimum balance or fade setting.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for controlling speaker acoustic output in a multi-speaker audio system having multiple listening zones, comprising:
 a first speaker and a second speaker; 
 an audio signal processor configured to substantially simultaneously adjust gain and at least one additional acoustic parameter of at least the first speaker relative to at least the second speaker in response to a change in balance or fade settings of the audio system across a range of balance and fade settings, except for a maximum or minimum balance or fade setting, and mute at least one speaker in response to the maximum or minimum balance or fade setting; and wherein the audio signal processor is further configured to adjust gain of a subwoofer to a non-zero gain in response to the maximum or minimum balance or fade setting. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the audio signal processor comprises a spectral manager configured to adjust frequency responses for the first and second speakers and wherein the gain is adjusted upstream of the spectral manager to provide a desired summation of speaker acoustic outputs within a designated listening zone. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second speakers are mounted within a vehicle cabin. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  wherein the audio signal processor is configured to mute at least one speaker by adjusting the gain of the at least one speaker so that the speaker does not produce a perceptible audio output. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second speakers comprise mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a front zone of a listening environment, the system further comprising:
 third and fourth mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a rear zone of the listening environment; 
 a subwoofer positioned in the rear zone of the listening environment; and wherein the audio signal processor is configured to mute the third and fourth mid-range speakers and adjust gain of the subwoofer to provide a non-zero signal to the subwoofer in response to a minimum or maximum fade setting. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second speakers comprise mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a front zone of a listening environment, the system further comprising:
 third and fourth mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a rear zone of the listening environment; a subwoofer positioned in the rear zone of the listening environment; and 
 wherein the audio signal processor is configured to mute the first and third mid-range speakers and adjust gain of the subwoofer to provide a non-zero signal to the subwoofer in response to a minimum or maximum balance setting. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second speakers comprise mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a front zone of a listening environment, the system further comprising:
 third and fourth mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a rear zone of the listening environment; a subwoofer positioned in the rear zone of the listening environment; and 
 wherein the audio signal processor is configured to mute the second, third, and fourth mid-range speakers and adjust gain of the subwoofer to provide a non-zero signal to the subwoofer in response to a minimum balance setting and a minimum fade setting. 
 
     
     
       8. A method for controlling speaker acoustic output in a multi-speaker audio system having at least a first speaker and at least a second speaker arranged in multiple listening zones, comprising:
 substantially simultaneously adjusting gain and at least one additional acoustic parameter of at least the first speaker relative to at least the second speaker in response to a change in balance or fade settings of the audio system across a range of balance and fade settings, except for a maximum or minimum balance or fade setting, 
 adjusting gain of a subwoofer to a non-zero gain in response to the maximum or minimum balance or fade setting, and 
 muting at least one speaker in response to the maximum or minimum balance or fade setting. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein muting at least one speaker comprises adjusting gain of the at least one speaker so that the at least one speaker produces no audio output. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  wherein the first and second speakers comprise mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a front zone of a listening environment, the system further including third and fourth mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a rear zone of the listening environment and the subwoofer positioned in the rear zone of the listening environment, the method further comprising: muting the third and fourth mid-range speakers and adjusting gain of the subwoofer to provide a non-zero signal to the subwoofer in response to a minimum or maximum fade setting. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8  wherein the first and second speakers comprise mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a front zone of a listening environment, the system further including third and fourth mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a rear zone of the listening environment and the subwoofer positioned in the rear zone of the listening environment, the method further comprising: muting the first and third mid-range speakers and adjusting gain of the subwoofer to provide a non-zero signal to the subwoofer in response to a minimum or maximum balance setting. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8  wherein the first and second speakers comprise mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a front zone of a listening environment, the system further including third and fourth mid-range speakers positioned at left and right regions of a rear zone of the listening environment and the subwoofer positioned in the rear zone of the listening environment, the method further comprising: muting the second, third, and fourth mid-range speakers and adjusting gain of the subwoofer to provide a non-zero signal to the subwoofer in response to a minimum or maximum balance setting and a minimum or maximum fade setting. 
     
     
       13. A system for controlling balance and fade in a multi-speaker listening environment having a plurality of speakers and a control interface including balance and fade controls having a plurality of control ranges surrounding a detent position of the balance and fade controls, comprising:
 a plurality of speakers including at least one subwoofer, 
 an audio signal processor configured to adjust at least a first audio parameter for a first range of balance and fade control settings of the plurality of speakers, to adjust at least a second audio parameter different from the first audio parameter in response to a second range of balance and fade settings, to adjust gain of the subwoofer to a non-zero gain in response to the maximum or minimum balance or fade setting, and to mute at least one speaker of the plurality of speakers in response to a third range of balance and fade settings. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13  wherein the audio signal processor is further configured to adjust the first and the second audio parameters in response to the second range of balance and fade settings. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 13  wherein the first audio parameter comprises gain and the second audio parameter comprises channel mixing. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 13  wherein the audio signal processor is further configured to mute at least one speaker only in response to either the balance control or the fade control being set to a corresponding last available control setting.